Iranian official claims Israeli F-35 fighter jet shot down near Tehran

By Mustafa Melih Ahishali and Gizem Nisa Demir

ISTANBUL (AA) - An Iranian official claimed Wednesday that an Israeli F-35 fighter jet had been shot down near the capital Tehran.

Hossein Abbasi, the district governor of Varamin – located just south of Tehran – told state news agency IRNA that the aircraft went down in the vicinity of the city.

“An Israeli F-35 fighter jet was brought down around Varamin,” Abbasi said, adding that security forces had launched an investigation into the incident.

No details were provided about the pilot of the downed jet.

According to Iranian sources, this marks the third Israeli warplane reportedly shot down since Israel launched a major military offensive against Iran last Friday.

-Escalating conflict

The current conflict began when Israel carried out large-scale airstrikes on June 13, targeting key Iranian military command structures as well as nuclear facilities across several cities.

Among those killed in the initial Israeli attacks were Iran’s chief of General Staff, the commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, several senior military officers, and nine nuclear scientists.

Civilian casualties have been reported at 224.

In retaliation, Iran launched ballistic missiles at Israel, resulting in 24 deaths and more than 500 injuries, according to Iranian sources.

The Israeli strikes and the ensuing escalation have drawn condemnation from multiple countries, including Türkiye.